Typewriting machine



March 24, 1925. 1,530,916

J. A. B. SMITH TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Jan. 20, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Alia/way Mire 24. 1925.

J. A. B"; SMITH TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Jan." 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Affor/IQM stares PATENT @FFECE.

JESSE A. B. FJ'IYZITEZ, GE STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNO'R T0 UNDEBWODDTYPE- VVRITEIR, COIEPANY, 013 NEW' YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OFDELAWARE.

TYPEWBITING MACHINE.

Application filed January 20, 1823.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn A. B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing in Stamford, in the county of Fairlield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful 1m arovenients inTypewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to typewriting machines. More particularly, theinvention relates to so-call d billing machines in which provision ismade for feeding a succession of bill-forms or form-sections in acontinuous web, and in a plurality of plies ordinarily fan-folded,through a carbon-carrier, for interleavemcnt of carbon-sheets with theweb-plies; and in which the carbon-carrier, on a table attached to theplaten-carriage at the rear of the latter, has line-feed movement withthe web toward the platen, and has movement rearward on the table forclearing carbons of the leading or written form-sections and forbringing them into interleavement with succeeding form-sections, at thecompletion of the writing on the leading form section. A machine of thisgeneral class is shown in United States Letters Patent to Wernery 8:Smith, No. 1,132,055, dated March 16, 1915. In the ma chine thereinshown, the table is also provided, above the printing line, with a gagearm or extension thereon for receiving the leading or typewrittenform-section of the web and for locating the leading edge thereofpreliminary to severance of such leading form-section from the rest ofthe web; and the platen is on a frame which may be swung by and withsuch gage and paper support to a position in which the grip on thecarbons is relaxed to permit rearward movement of the carbon-carrierwhile the webplies are held pinched to the gage; a knife edge beingprovided, against which the web my be drawn for severing the leadingform-section therefrom. In the patent referred to, he carbon-sheets areheld by blades which project into the fan-folds, in alternate orstaggered relation, from opposite sides of the carrier.

it is often desirable that several of the plies of the leadingform-section remain united to each other, after being severed from therest of the web, until they are split apart, at their side edges, fordistribution, mailing and filing. @ne of the plies,

Serial No. 613,824..

however, is commonly an oflice record-sheet of all the individual bills,and it will be more convenient; at times to file or keep this sheetintegral than to cut the same into individual bill-lengths. If, however,this record-ply of the fan-fold web is to be left unitary, it must besplit from the other plies so that the leading form-sections of thelatter may be lifted from the recordply in the operation of severing andremoving them from the rest of the web.

An object of the invention is the provision of means for splitting therecord-ply, lengthwise of the web, from the other plies, whilemaintaining the fan-fold connection of the other plies, one to theother, during the feed of the web through the machine. In the preferredform of the invention, the blade which holds to the carrier thecarbonsheet' between the record-ply and the ply next thereto, is used asthe means for splitting the record-ply from the other plies, and, forthis purpose, is extended at its free end, beyond the line of thecorresponding side edge of the web, to form a paper-splitter; the otherblades, however, terminating at their free ends within the lines of theside edges of the web. Rearward movement of the carrier, therefore,causes the record-ply to be split from the others, but leaves the othersas a fan-fold.

Another obj cct of the invention is the pro vision of means whereby therecord-ply may be fed over the papersupporting arm or gage beyond theprinting line, and beyond the leading edges of the other plies on sucharm, without fouling; and whereby, with out insertion of the fingersbetween the plies, all the plies may be pinched together against thefront of the supporting arm or gage, with the record-ply folded aroundthe end of such arm and against the rear face thereof, to provide a firmgrip on all the plies; so that, in. the operations involved in clearingthe carbons from the leading form-section and in gaging or setting theweb for writing on a fresh form-section, the record-ply may not be tornor injured.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the platencarriage, carbon-carrier-table,and attachments embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation, partly cross-sectional, on theline 22 of Figure 1; the platen and the platen-frame being in normal orworking position.

Figure 3 is a 'iew similar to Figure 2, except that the platen-frame hasbeen swung to carbon-releasing position, and the carboncarrier-table isomitted.

A fan-fold web, shown as four plies, 10 10 and 10 is led up from asuitable holder, over and around a rail 11, carried by brackets 12 onthe rear of carboncarri-er-table 13; guards 14 for the side edges of theweb being adjustably secured by setscrews 15 to the rail 11. From therail 11 the web passes forward to the carbon-carrier 16. Thecarbon-carrier comprises a plate 17, mounted to be slid forward andrearward on rails 18 on the table 13. Se cured to the plate 17, at eachside thereof, is a block 19, having steps 20 thereon. Blades 21 aresecured, each by one end thereof, to one of the steps 20. The blades onone of the blocks 19 are staggered or alternated, with respect to theblades on the other block; and the free ends of each of the blades,encep the upper blade, terminate, as indicated at 22, in Figure 1,within the folds or side edges 28 of the fanfolded web. The free end ofthe upper blade 21, as shown at 24, Figure 1, projects beyond theright-hand edge of the web, so that, when the carbon-carrier is movedrearward on the table, a knife-edge 25 on the blade 21 will serve tosever the upper ply of the fan-fold web from the hex underlying ply. Toeach blade 21 and 21 is secured the rear end of one of the carbonsheets26. These carbons are interleaved with the web-plies, and extend forwardfrom the blades, as shown in Figure 2.

A rail 27 defines the forward end of the carbon-carrier-table, and thisrail is secured to brackets 28 on the usual cross-piece 29 of theplaten-carriage, so that the carboirtable may have movements inletter-feed and return directions with the platen-carriage. The rear endof the carbon-table may be supported on a runway (not shown). From thecarbon-carriage, the web-plies, with the interleaved carbon-sheets, passforward around a rail 30, carried by brackets 31 on the platen-carriage.Guards 32 on the carbon-carriage and other guards SS, adjustably securedto the rail on the platencarriage, serve to guide the side edges of theweb. From the rail 30, the web and interleaved carbons pass downwardaround the platen 34 between the latter and the usual paper table andapron 85 to the front of the platen; whence they are led upward acrossthe printing line and over a front paper-table 36, carried by theplaten-frame. lhe rear paper table and apron 35 carries the usual frontand rear and 38, in engagement with feed-rolls the platen when the partsare in writing position.

The axle 39 of the platen is journaled in a frame consisting of sidemembers 40, fixed to a rock-shaft 42, journaled in side plates 48 of theplaten-carriage; so that the platen-frame with the platen and fronttable 86 may be swung between Figure 2, or writing, position and Figure3, or carbon-releasing, position. For effecting rotation of the platenin line-feed and reverse directions, the platen-axle 39 has fastthereto, at each end thereof, a pinion 44, in mesh with pinions 45,loosely mounted on the shaft 42; and the pinions 45, in turn, in meshwith pinions 46, fast to stub-shafts 47, journaled in the side plates 43of the carriage. The stub-shafts 47 carry the usual knobs 48; and theleft-hand stub-shaft 47 carries the usual line-space-ratchet-wheel (notshown). This ratchet-wheel is turned by a pawl (not shown), on a slide49, having forward and rearward movement on the frame of theplaten-carriage. One arm 50 of a bell-crank line-space lever serves tothrow back the slide 49 to effect a line space movement of the platenthrough the ratchet-wheel (not shown), pinion 46, pinion 45, pinion 44and platen-axle S9. The other arm 51 of the line-space lever carries theusual finger-piece 52. The slide 49 and line-space lever are returned tonormal position by a spring (not shown). Since the pinions 45 are on therock-shaft 42, which serves as the pivot for the swinging platen-frame,it follows that the platen, whether in Figure 2 or Figure 3 position,may be turned by the knobs 48, or by the line-space mechanism.

hen the platen-frame is in Figure 2 position, it is supported at itsrear by the rail 80, by means of fingers or extensions 53 on the sideplates 40 of the swinging frame. The rail 30 is a rock-shaft, to whichare made fast, one at each end thereof, hooks 54, for engagement withpins 55, set into the side plates 40 of the swinging frame. lVhen theframe is swung from F i 'ure 8 back to Figure 2 position, the hooks 54are rocked back until the noses 56 thereof are free to be snapped overthe pins 55, to lock the swinging frame in its Figure 2 position. Thisoperation is effected by coil-springs 57, one on each end of the shaft30; each of these coil-springs being secured at one end to the carriageframe, and at its other end to collar 58, fast to the shaft 3\. Theswinging fran'ie is, therefore, automatically locked in writing positionwhen swung down from ure 3 position. For unlockin the swinging frame, topermit the same to be swung to Figure 3 position, one of the hooks 54 isextended upward in the form of a finger 58*, having a finger-piece 59thereon.

The front paper-table 36 is extended upward and rearward in the form ofan arm the end of which may serve as a gage tor the leading edges of theweb-plies. This web-supporting arm or extension 60 is ureterablyslidably adjustable on the table 36, so to be set for web-forms ofdilierent lengths. For this purpose, it is in two sections, 60 and 60,one of which is slotted at (31, and the other oi which carries pins 62,set into the slot. Gne of these pins may be in the form of a set screwor thumbscrew, threaded into the arm-section 6t", and having head 63adapted to be turned against the arm-section 60 to hold the latter inadjusted position. The upper end of the arm-piece 6O carries across-piece 6%, preferably of round or cylindrical surface, to preventtearing or cutting of the upper web-ply 10 led thereover. Carried bycars or brackets 65, fast to the rockshait i2, is the usual blade orcutter 66, against which the web-plies may be drawn in Figure 2position, to sever the formlengths thereof.

In operation, after the typewriting has been eiteeted on the leadingform, said form is advanced to register its lower edge with the severingknife. The leading edges of the leading forms are then pinched by thelingers against the extension-arm 6060", the hooks 5 1- are released;and the platen-frame is swung from Figure 2 to Figure 3 posi tion, thusreleasing the grip of the platen on the web and interleaved carbons. Theweb ply 10 is held tightly around the crosspieee (B l, which serves as asnubbing bar, and the ends of the other plies are pinched to thegage-piece beyond the ends of the carbons, while the carbon carriage, bymeans of an arm ($7 thereon, is thrust rearward, drawthe carbonsrearward along, and relatively to, the web, to introduce the carbonsinto succeeding web-forms and to clear the same of the leadingtypewritten fornrsections. The rearward movement out the ear hon-carriercauses the knife-edge 23 of the upper blade 21 thereon to split theupper ply 10 of the tan-told web from the other plies ot the web. Thisaccomplished, and with the written form-sections still gripped to thegage, the platen-frame is swung by the gage back to Figure 2 position.The web-ply 10, which is the top ply at the carbon-carrier, but which isthe underneath ply on the trout table 36, and which has been split, asaforesaid, from the other plies ot the web, may then be released by thelingers, and the other plies, 10 10 and 10 gripped together, lrawnagainst the blade 66, to sever the same from the rest of theirrespective plies. The three lower plies, 10, 10, 10, as severed from theweb, present a tan- ?told and may remain in such tan-folded conditionuntil themselves separated from one another for distribution. The ply10, uncut by the knife 66, will be left on the table 36, and will. befed therealong and over the up per end piece (ll of the gage-extension,as the succeeding form-section is written, and as the web is steppedforward from one formsection to another. Any desired typewritten lengthof the ply 10, which length may include a considerable number ofform-sections, may be allowed to accumulate beyond theeXtension-end-piece 6i; and, if desired, a receptacle may be providedfor receiving such typewritten, unsevered length of the web-ply 10.

Assuming, as indicated in Figure :2, that one or more form-lengths oithe ply 1O have passed the end piece 6% of the gage-extension, andassuming that the leading forms of the other plies have. beentypewritten and engaged by the severing knife, and are ready to beremoved, the several plies of web are preferably gripped, as indicatedin Figure 3, prelin'iinary to being swung from Figure 2 to Figure 3position. That is to say, one finger is placed on top of the gage, withthe plies all between the same and the gage, and the other finger holdsthe ply 10 to the back of the gage, the latter ply being thus made toencircle the end rail 64: on the gage or extension. With the web-pliesthus gripped, the platen-frame is swung to carbon-releasing position.

To hold the web-plies against rearward movement with the carbons, it isthus unnecessary to insert any part oi the hand between the gage andthat portion of the web which is past the rail 64v ln gripping the ply10 around the end of the gage or sup porting linger 60-60 the ply 10might be out or torn if the gage or supporting tinger presented a sharpor narrow end edge. The enlarged curved or cylindrical crosspiece 6-l,however, as above mentioned, eliminates such passibility of injury tothe web. This cross-piece i l may be present, and will have the samefunction of protecting the ply 10, even when the several plies 10, 10 10and 10 are separate throughout their length, instead of being afan-told. It will be understood that, whenever, at any time, it isdesired to sever the typewritten portion of the ply 10 from the rest ofthat ply, it may be drawn against the knife 66 in the same manner as arethe other web-plies, and that it may be severed in the same operation inwhich the other plies are severed, or in a separate operation.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, a platen, means for feeding a continuousWeb to and around the platen, an arm beyond the printing line extendinglengthwise of the path or" the typewritten portion of the Web, and across-piece on the end of the arm for supporting the Web clear of therest of the apparatus; said arnl being adjustable in length to accord toform-sections of different lengths in the Web.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revolnble platen anda carbonearrier shifteble toward and from the platen, of a Web-slitteron the carbon-carrier to sever longitudinally a ply of a fan-fold web asthe carbon-carrier is moved to the rear, a transverse knife to out 01ftyped sections of the fan-fold Web and serving as a gage, and atransverse web-snubbing bar at the delivery side of the platen formingan anchorage for the gaged \veb Wrapped thereover and resisting thebackward drag of the slitter and the shifting carbons upon the Web. andpreventing accidental shifting of the web away from its gaged position.

JESSE A. 13. SBHTH. lVitnesses EnrrI-I B. LmnEY, JJGNNIE P. Tnonxn.

